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Chapter 3
In chapter 3 Jack's obsession with hunting begins to develop, whilst Simon and Ralph construct huts for sleeping. Ralph becomes increasingly frustrated about the lack of effort from the other stranded students. Summary Simon and Ralph construct huts for the children to sleep in and Ralph becomes annoyed when he realises that they are the only ones doing any work. Jack becomes more obsessed with hunting as another pig escapes him, and the boys lust for meat becomes more apparent. Characters Ralph is again focussing on important problems within the tribe, as any good chief should, these include the growing sense of fear within the 'littluns' of the group, a need for shelters in case of a storm and the fact that their fire is insufficiently managed. These problems have made Ralph stressed but while he is open about his problems to Piggy and Simon, the only members of the tribe willing to help build shelters, an antagonism towards Jack starts here when Ralph realises that his priorities are completely different to Jack's. Jack simply cares about hunting it seems, he shares none of Ralph's concerns to the extent that he would actually do anything but command hunters. He isn't stupid though, Jack does not want to fall out of favour with the chief so he does actually end up helping him although he too antagonises the other because of differing opinions. This growing tension could be related to the fact he has yet to kill a pig. Another child who we learn a lot about here is Simon who traverses the jungle where he finds a beautiful forest clearing where he feels safe and happy. This is a new side to Simon and it appears he is far closer to nature and more relaxed in personality than any of the other boys, preferring tranquillity to running around and hunting. Most of the children are growing increasingly fearful and restless, screaming at night and believing in a beastie. In particular the littluns are badly troubled. Setting Now that they are more used to the forest, hunters like Jack are able to traverse it quite easily and Jack himself manages to track a pig a long distance through it. The island seems to be less inhospitable than it first appeared and there must be a lot of food in the form of fruit and possibly seafood at the island to keep so many children nourished. The beach is becoming more homely as shelters are built upon it although they are not structurally sound and littluns still fear the beach at night when the forest surrounds them. It seems likely that this island will never be a nice place to live. Simon's trip into the forest revealed it to be a lush place with lots of wildlife and beautiful areas where it does not feel enclosed or difficult to navigate. Themes and Writing Style There are not a huge amount of new themes introduced in this chapter, but one main feeling provided is that of 'loss' as well as 'longing;. The boys miss out on a way to get away from the island (a passing ship) due to laziness around the island. Both of these themes and emotions are shown in Ralph's passionate phrase 'Don't you want to get off this island?' Although this is a rhetorical question it really puts things in perspective in the story, showing that every boy longs to get away from the island. The tribal side of the group is further developed in this chapter and the theme of 'savagery', more specifically on the part of Jack. He becomes even more like an animal hunting for its prey, and this is definately shown in the phrase 'Jack was bent double'. This phrase physically puts him down in the position of an animal causing us to imagine him as such, showing the progression of the child into something more primative. The other childrens' laziness could also be respective of animalistic qualities as organisation and hierachy is part of what makes us human. Conclusion and Final Comment So, in this chapter we experience the second loss in the story as the children lose their method of escape. It is very interesting seeing the boys react to this more than when the maleberry faced boy died, possibly suggesting a tribal side to them. Jack's primitive side and obsession with killing and meat is emphasized in this chapter, foreshadowing upcoming conflict in the story.